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Wednesday, February 3, 2010

We tried. We really did. When we got Skipper, we were determined not to become those people who treat their dog like a child- talking to it in a baby voice, dressing it up in little clothes, and letting it up on the furniture like it owns the place. A dog is a dog, we averred.But flash-forward six months and, well, I need someone to talk to during the day, and she gets cold and shivery without her puffy jacket on her walk. We held out the longest on letting her up on the furniture, not wanting to deal with the hair (and also because we saw the sidewalks where her paws had been- yuck). But, she's a little dog, so there's plenty of room for her between us on the couch, and it's so much easier to pet and cuddle with her when she's up with us, instead of having to get down on the ground at her level.Luckily, before we totally caved, I talked to my friend, Randi, and she introduced me to the concept of the "couch schmata." Schmata, she explained, is a Yiddish word for a rag- in this case, a junky old blanket or sheet that you can throw over the couch before you let the dog up on it, protecting your slipcovers or upholstery from their claws and fur. We use an old cotton cable-knit blanket with a big hole in it. Most of the time we keep it hanging over the back of the couch (folded so the hole doesn't show), and pull it down when Skip hops up. We also spread it out on those not-so-rare occasions when we sit and eat dinner on the couch in front of the TV. When the blanket gets too gross or hairy, or when JM or I drop a tomato on it, I throw it right in the wash - so much better than washing the slipcovers.